Schwarzkopf sponsors Vevo series to 'Lift' next pop stars

Vevo, the online music video platform, has signed a six-figure deal with haircare brand Schwarzkopf for it to sponsor the UK edition of 'Lift', Vevo's series showcasing emerging artists, in 2014.

Foxes: singer-songwriter to perform in Vevo's Schwarzkopf-sponsroed Lift series

Schwarzkopf's Got2b hair styling range will sponsor 'Lift' from today, starting with content around Southampton singer-songwriter Louisa Rose Allen, who performs under the name Foxes and will be the first featured artist of 2014.

The 'Lift' series is now in its third year. Schwarzkopf's Got2b will sponsor all 'Lift' content in 2014. The series will showcase five artists through interviews, video diaries and filmed performances on Vevo's site, YouTube channel and apps.

Last year's UK 'Lift' artists – Bastille, Iggy Azelea, Nina Nesbitt, John Newman and Lorde – generated more than 180 million views between them last year.

The deal is the first year-long sponsorship for 'Lift'. Sony Mobile sponsored campaigns around the last three 'Lift' artists of 2013 as part of a wider global sponsorship of the entire Vevo platform.

The partnership was brokered by MEC Access, MEC's sponsorship division.

Damien Gillman, a business director of MEC Access, said: "Music and digital platforms are a natural fit and we're proud to have played a part in bringing the two together in order to deliver timely and relevant content a 16- to 24-year-old target audience.

The sponsorship will be activated through elements like pre-roll, overlay and display MPU, and viewers can win the chance to meet the 'Lift' artists and win Got2b goody bags through competitions on Got2b's social media platforms.

The deal also includes the creation of Got2b-branded videos focusing on hair and fashion styling, taking viewers behind-the-scenes with the artists.

Nic Jones, the senior vice-president, international at Vevo, said: "'Lift' has proven to be an incredibly powerful music discovery program for consumers and we have experienced an increasing shift in brands looking to diversify or completely move their sponsorship budgets away from TV to online."

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